Natural hazards · Carlisle

Carlisle, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carlisle comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Carlisle?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carlisle to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Hurricanes8%Earthquakes8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Carlisle faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Carlisle flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Carlisle, from FEMA’s records.

16paid claims since 1979

$102Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 4 claims, $6K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Carlisle isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Cumberland County.

Disasters that hit Carlisle

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Carlisle itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of Carlisle.

Brought FEMA money into CarlisleDeclared for Cumberland County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

18 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

44 households applied for aid $134K aid approved

Cumberland County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Carlisle

Carlisle and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North Middletonmostly inland floodingLow

Carlislemostly inland floodingLow

West Pennsboromostly inland floodingLow

South Middletonmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Carlisle covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carlisle’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Carlisle. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Carlisle total about $5.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.